The Infinity Mantle

Lore of Arcana #1

by Elaina J. Davidson

Two worlds in two universes are on the brink of destruction. Both will burn. Connecting them and their shared fate is a linked past, a magical thread of light and a tear in the fabric of space.

Separating them is a great barrier of Chaos and it threatens to invade and extinguish all life.

Is there anyone out there able to prevent eternal darkness?
Valaris is threatened by the dara-witch Infinity and beyond Ardosia the Darak Or Margus watches for the perfect opportunity to annihilate a world and its people. Both will use Chaos as a weapon of ultimate manipulation.

When Taranis of the Guardians is summoned to witness what will happen to Valaris should Ardosia fail and is forced to endure the Chaos barrier, he understands the Guardians need a sorcerer of extraordinary power to step forth.

Rayne of the Mantle meanwhile travels to Farinwood to find the magician Aven to confirm rumours of Infinity’s presence on Valaris. He isn’t prepared for what he actually finds. Changeling children bent on murder, a secret Society of Sorcerers, the mysterious waif Averroes…and the Maghdim Medaillon, the magical coin that creates a thread of light between two realms.

Rayne dreams of a little girl from another world crying for help and cannot fathom how that is likely, until he meets the Guardians in the Great Forest of Valaris. When they reveal the presence of a tear in space, Rayne understands he is being gathered to fulfil his destiny…

And on Ardosia a little girl awakes from a nightmare, screaming: ‘It will all burn, daddy!’

Another awakes, a legendary figure from the forgotten past, creator of the Maghdim Medaillon, the true ruler of both Valaris and Ardosia. His time is now.

There is a darkness coming.

ebook

First published February 11, 2013

About the author

Elaina lives in magical Ireland after leaving the surrounds of magnificent Table Mountain at the southern tip of Africa. Having lived in both Ireland and New Zealand, she now realises Ireland’s mists are close to perfection. When writing she puts into words her travels and dreams, because she believes there is inspiration in even the most outrageous tale.

After studying Purchasing Management and working in the formal sector as a buyer, she chose to raise and home-school her three children. She started writing novels around 2002, moving from children’s stories, poetry and short stories to concentrate on larger works.

While her main body of work has been her Fantasy Series (Lore of Arcana, Lore of Reaume and Lore of Sanctum), she is a diverse writer and her credits include novels and shorter stories in the Contemporary, Humorous, Paranormal, Dystopian, Alternate History and Romantic genres, as well as Non-fiction. Many of her books have been translated into Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Greek and French. Her audiobook library is growing too.

Ireland’s ancient past has influenced her writing, gifting her work a Celtic twist, while the majesty of New Zealand has led her to mountaintops and extraordinary vistas. The vibrancy of Africa has had much to do with the inspirational side of Elaina’s work. The colours and diversity of nature itself fires her imagination.

Come with her to places familiar and far, far away!

Reviews

[Carol Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

The INFINITY MANTLE (Lore of Arcana I) by Elaina J. Davidson, is a wonderful fantasy of truly epic proportions. The writing is stellar, though had I not been prepared by the author at the outset to expect a good deal of (absolutely necessary) backstory in the beginning of the story, I might have become impatient and not discovered the brilliant and mesmerizing tale which followed. The pace is steady-to-lively beyond the history, and the character development is exceptional. The characters are well-fleshed out with distinct and realistic personalities. My favorites are Rayne, Averroes, and Vannis. The world-building is superb. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this unique and intriguing series.

I highly recommend THE INFINITY MANTLE to all who enjoy epic fantasy, or a spectular long story.

[Ken Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book for fantasy lovers everywhere. I confess as not to being a great fan of fantasy....but how wrong can you be? E.J. D. (apologies for initials!) shifted my viewpoint considerably! There was at times a touch of the Terry Pratchett's around in this densely populated narrative. Quite a few characters in this and I kept my notebook beside me.
Part of the 'Lore of Arcane' series this offering gives a broad sweep and acknowledgement to Elaina Davidson's considerable writing skills.
It is an intelligent, sometimes date fantasy whereby the characters come alive, employing considerable diversity, and like us in reality, have moments of insight into themselves and what gives rise to their motivation.
Get stuck into this clever piece of writing and you won't regret it.
No trouble with 5*****

[Grant Leishman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some authors write fantasy, Elaina J Davidson writes epic fantasy and she does it with the care and aplomb of a true master of the craft. Her books are usually wide, sweeping tales of fantastic worlds, amazing creatures and terrifying magic and sorcery. The Infinity Mantle, the first book in the Lore of Arcana series, is just such a book. It brings us the worlds of Valaris and Ardosia, both threatened by the evil Darak Or Margus. To battle this universal evil, Davidson brings together an ensemble cast of humans, guardians (Immortals) and even the greatest ruler of them all, the original being that ruled both Valaris and Ardosia from the very beginnings of sentience.

This story is massive in its scope and one thing I appreciated from the author, especially given that this is the first book in a series, was the time she spent to introduce and understand the principal characters in this strange new world. Too often fantasy authors leave us, the reader, to flounder along wondering who is this character and why is he/she reacting this way. Davidson takes the time to build her world, to set the scene and to explore her characters. I applaud her for this.

Once the adventure starts, the action is fascinating and beautifully written. We are able to follow the various arcs of the story and relate one to the other, which is the sign of a superb writer, which Davidson certainly is. I particularly liked the emotional nature of the interactions between both the humans and the humans to the immortals. There was always a deep feeling of mistrust and fascination between the two groups, which was wonderfully played by Davidson. The principal character (if there can even be one in such an ensemble cast) Rayne of the Mantle was perfectly complex and riddled with issues, especially identity issues. I look forward to exploring more of these fascinating characters in the next few books in this series.

Davidson is both prolific and talented as an author and I would certainly place her high up in the list of indie authors I have read and as a fantasy author, she is up there with the very best. An author to follow for sure. I highly recommend The Infinity Mantle, if fantasy is your genre - and even if it's not, I suggest you give this one a crack.

[I.E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story. Felt disjointed at first, but then finally came together.

[Jeff Blackmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Infinity Mantle is the third novel I’ve read by Elaina Davidson, the first two being stand alone titles, The Tinsal Deck, and Ilfin of Arc. The Infinity Mantle is different, the first book in a Tetralogy called Lore of Arcana. The subsequent books are The Kinfire Tree, The Drowned Throne, and The Dragon Circle. And if that weren’t an ambitious enough project, it is just the first of three tetralogies, the other two being Lore of Reaume, and Lore of Sanctum. In addition, there are related short stories.
I mention the above because the epic scope of this work is impressive; a twelve-book series of high fantasy, taking place on worlds that stir the imagination.
Every chapter begins with an epigram. Some are humorous or quirky, others are profound, and each is attributed to a fictional text that is part of this universe. It’s always pertinent, and adds a great depth to a universe that already feels so very real.
The Infinity Mantle takes place on multiple worlds, primarily Valaris, over a vast period of time. There are so many ideas explored here, but the story is never rushed, just patiently laid out, layer upon layer. Many different cultures interact with each other. Some of those encounters reflect humanity at our best; others at our worst. At one point we learn the origin story of Valaris and how later explorers of this planet claimed this world for themselves
“Discovery does not mean ownership,” Saska states. Rayne of the Mantle answers, “Perhaps we humans should harken to that.” It reminds us of our own history, echoing the ‘discovery’ of the New World by Europeans.
Another facet Davidson adds are names and titles derivative of Valaris. The original people are the Valleur. The title of their leader is Vallorin, and the name of the one holding that title now is Vannis. All these things make us feel we are reading a work of historical fiction and Davidson instinctively understands these careful details are necessary. When we read stories that take place on earth, we may already be familiar with some aspects of culture. But on a different world, in a different time and place, these things are important to know.
This is the story of journey of a group of fourteen different members, bringing unique strengths, from different societies, cultures and species, who embark on a quest to solve various puzzles. It’s part of a perverse game that holds their world hostage to a threat of invasion by beings from another dimension.
It’s a story of inspiration and reminds us that although truth is often learned from external sources, it’s also something that comes to us on a more personal level.
Dreams are real; dreams exert influence ~ Anonymous Valarian sage - is the epigram from Chapter 4. The characters in this story learn much from dreams, and one character, Averroes, realizes at one point, “There are no rules in dreams.” That was an epiphany to me.


It’s is a story of conflict; of those who want peace and prosperity battling against those forces who would bring greed, chaos and darkness. It’s a great adventure.
And lastly, it’s a story of friendship, loyalty, alliances, and trust. Amazingly, Davidson juggles three different protagonists, Taranis, Vannis, and Rayne of the Mantle. It’s different, but it works, and we’re excited to have these three all on the same side, knowing how powerful they are together. Some of the fourteen have minor roles, but they are all well drawn, fleshed out and three dimensional.
As I said at the beginning, this is the first of twelve books. I’m sure there is much more to learn of this world and its characters. We feel a part of this quest and we care about the outcome. Davidson invites us to continue and I accept the invitation. The adventure has barely begun.
Five out five stars, without question.

[Kristy Volchko · Rating 5 out of 5]

One fascinating fantasy!

The Infinity Mantle by Elaina Davidson is the first book in the Lore of Arcana series, and exactly the kind of story you hope it will be when you purchase a fantasy novel. Well-written and beyond imaginative, Davidson takes the reader on a journey far, far from this world. Great characters, world-building, action scenes, and plot, this is one fascinating fantasy read! I also like that there was a backstory added because it really does create a better understanding of things overall. I always want to be mindful of spoilers, so I won’t reveal too much more, but if you’re looking for sorcery, magic, folklore, sci-fi, survivalism, and much, much more, I highly recommend The Infinity Mantle. Looking forward to reading the next installment. Five stars.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I just have to say WOW,WOW,WOW,WOW!!If you are a lover of fantasy then you must read this book immediatley!! I enjoyed it so much that I started dragging my feet finnishing it because I didn't want it to end.My only consolation is the fact that more may be on the way.The story centers around Rayne,a necromancer who is a mystery to everyone including himself.As the story progresses we learn along with him who he is and what he is capable of.This was such a FANTASTIC read that it truly puts other fantasy stories such as dare I say JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit series TO SHAME.As a long time fan of Mr Tolkien I have to say that Elaina J Davidson doesn't give him a run for his money,she left him in a cloud of dust!! Elaina manages to transport you to every world she visits,leaving you with a feeling of not just reading the words written but experiencing the adventure at hand with relish!This story has it all,Sorcery,Mermaids,Centaur,Giants and pretty much every manor mythical creature you can think of but with a unique twist.The only thing left to say is PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE LET THERE BE MORE!!!!!!!!

[Kelly Ashmore-paules · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book difficult to finish. The book I found difficult to keep reading in the beginining, but that was only because there were so many charachters and we needed to understand the backstory of each. Once into the main story, I found the book difficult to put down. In the end I can honestly say this book was well written, and I would enjoy reading other books by this author. Give it a whirl, you won't be disappointed

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m sorry. I am DNFing. It’s just WAY too tedious. I see why those who liked the book liked it, but it’s just not for me.

[Paul Trembling · Rating 2 out of 5]

As an avid reader of fantasy, I expected to enjoy 'The Infinity Mantle'. I like richly detailed backgrounds, epic scenarios, complex plots, a variety of colorful characters, and so on. This has all of those. Yet I'm giving up on it half way through, for a number of reasons. One is that the plot isn't just complex, but confusing. In the first few chapters I was bombarded with multiple scenes, characters and plot lines that had no obvious connection with each other, and was struggling to make sense of of it. That sort of thing can work once or twice, but this was overdone. To be sure, it did eventually settle down into some sort of coherence, but by that time the damage was done. I was bored with it. A faster pace might have helped get past that, but instead, it took it's time to get going. Perhaps this was appropriate for the first volume of an epic,but it didn't serve to pull me into the story. A different structure might have worked better. The individual sections were vividly described and engaging, but they were broken off before I could get into them in depth. I also had problems with the background which seemed patch and contrived in places, as if it had been constructed retrospectively to fit the plot, rather than being the foundation from which the plot was developed. For example, a major factor is that the world is divided in two by an immense forest, and neither North nor South knows of the others existence. This is explained, to be sure, but the explanation was unconvincing. It isn't as if the forest is particularly dangerous - indeed, it's shown as a rather pleasant place. Hard to believe that in hundreds of years, no one found their way through to the other side. The characters themselves were varied, but sometimes vague in their development, and on the whole failed to engage my sympathies. For me the final straw was the sea voyage. Perhaps, as an ex-seaman, I'm being pedantic, but there were just two many bits that were totally unrealistic. I was skeptical as soon as the Captain began steering the vessel before it was actually underway, and there was more to follow. Too many to list, and perhaps it won't bother you, but even in a fantasy some basic research is needed to give a degree of authenticity. So that's when I gave up. The writer has a vivid imagination and thinks on an epic scale, but did not create a realistic world or characters to support her plot. Prospective readers, however, should be aware that my opinion is (to judge by the multiple 5 star reviews on Amazon) a minority one, and many people will disagree with me on this. So try it for yourself - it was a free download when I got it. But it didn't work for me.

[Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

I fear the fact I am ill has impacted my ability to read this properly but I'm not getting any sense out of it and Everytime I think it's going somewhere we skip somewhere else to a new character... And never return.
Maybe I'll try again some day

[Alexander Zoltai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely well-written—a movingly lyrical adventure, full of wonder and grace…